DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH, 


CONTAGIOUS  DISEASE  HOSPITAL 


BROADWAY  AND  SPRING  STREET, 


BUFFALO,  N.  Y. 


STAFF. 


Contagious  Disease  Hospital. 

Walter  S.  Goodale,  M.  D.,  Superintendent. 
Jesse  N.  Roe,  M.  D.,  Resident  Physician. 
Frank  Walz,  M.  D.,  Interne. 

Miss  Marjory  Carney,  Matron. 

Miss  Helen  Hart,  Supervising  Nurse. 

Miss  Mabel  Caldwell,  Night  Superintendent. 
Miss  Sophia  Wilson,  Acting  Housekeeper. 


+ 


COMMITTEE  ON  SANITARY  MEASURES. 

Board  of  Aldermen. 

William  E.  Shifferens,  Chairman. 


George  K.  Staples. 
Elmer  Harris. 


J.  George  Kelberer. 
Edward  Stengel. 


BOARD  OF  HEALTH. 

Hon.  Louis  P.  Fuhrmann,  Mayor. 

Col.  Francis  G.  Ward,  Com.  of  Public  Works. 
Francis  E.  Fronczak,  M.  D.,  Health  Commissioner . 
August  Schneider,  Secretary. 


4>W*c 

CONSULTING  STAFF. 

Contagious  Disease  Hospital. 


PHYSICIANS. 

Charles  G.  Stockton,  M.  D. 
Henry  0.  Bus  well,  M.  D. 

Nelson  G.  Russell,  M.  D. 
Archibald  D.  Carpenter,  M.  D. 
L.  Bradley  Dorr,  M.  D. 

ASSISTANT  PHYSICIANS. 

George  L.  Fischer,  M.  D. 

John  A.  Ragone,  M.  D. 

Francis  N.  Pitass,  M.  D. 
Edward  E.  Koehler,  M.  D. 
Clarence  L.  Hyde,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN. 

Grover  Wende,  M.  D. 

Walter  S.  Good  ale,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE. 

Lucien  Howe,  M.  D. 

F.  Park  Lewis,  M.  D. 

Harry  M.  Weed,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 

Matthew  D.  Mann,  M.  D. 
James  E.  King,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  NERVOUS 
SYSTEM. 

James  W.  Putnam,  M.  D. 
William  Gaertner,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  RECTUM. 

Edward  Clark,  M.  D. 

Walter  D.  Greene,  M.  D. 

ORAL  SURGERY. 

John  H.  Stackhouse,  D.  D.  S. 

ORTHOPOEDICS. 

Bernard  Bartow,  M.  D. 

Prescott  LeBreton,  M.  D. 


SURGEONS. 

Roswell  Park,  M.  D. 

Marcell  Hart  wig,  M.  D. 

Marshal  Clinton,  M.  D. 

Joseph  Burke,  M.  D. 

Edgar  R.  McGuire,  M.  D. 

ASSISTANT  SURGEONS. 

Edwin  L.  Bebee,  M.  D. 

Thew  Wright,  M.  D. 

Alfred  Zittel,  M.  D. 

Harry  R.  Trick,  M.  D. 

James  L.  Gallagher,  M.  D. 

GENITO  URINARY  DISEASES. 

Thomas  B.  Carpenter,  M.  D. 
James  A.  Gardner,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  NOSE,  THROAT 
AND  EAR. 

W.  Scott  Renner,  M.  D. 

James  J.  Mooney,  M.  D. 

OBSTETRICS. 

Ludwig  Schroeter,  M.  D. 

Burt  C.  Johnson,  M.  D. 

DISEASES  OF  CHILDREN. 

DeWitt  H.  Sherman,  M.  D. 
Charles  E.  Abbott,  M.  D. 

Arthur  C.  Schaefer,  M.  D. 

PATHOLOGY. 

Herbert  U.  Williams,  M.  D. 
Burton  T.  Simpson,  M.  D. 

CLINICAL  PATHOLOGY. 

John  G.  Hoeckh,  M.  D. 

Harry  Ebberts,  M.  D. 

CHEMISTRY. 

H.  M.  Hill,  A.  M. 


BACTERIOLOGY. 
William  G.  Bissell,  M.  D. 


2 


TO  THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 
OF  BUFFALO,  N.  Y. 


OWING  to  the  many  false  impressions  which  have  been  spread  broad- 
cast either  by  accident  or  design  regarding  the  Contagious  Disease 
Hospital,  I deem  it  wise  to  publish  the  results  of  the  inspection 
which  the  Committee  on  Sanitary  Measures  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen 
made  some  weeks  ago.  Their  report  appears  to  be  a plain  statement  of 
fact  without  .bias  or  prejudice.  It  upholds  the  position  taken  by  the 
Board  of  Health  in  reference  to  the  maintenance  of  the  Hospital,  which 
is,  that  an  institution  of  this  character  either  should  be  conducted 
properly  or  not  at  all. 

The  Hospital  buildings  are  not  the  tumble-down,  disreputable,  inade- 
quate structures  that  same  would  have  ,us  believe.  Not  having  been 
erected  for  hospital  purposes,  their  structural  defects  are  many.  In  ad- 
dition they  stood  idle  for  two  or  three  years  and  consequently  were 
discovered  in  bad  repair.  Since  a year  ago  last  February,  when  we  first 
took  possession,  the  repairs  and  changes  made  have  been  many,  so  that 
now,  barring  fire  protection,  the  Contagious  Disease  Hospital  is  in  very 
fair  condition  when  one  considers  that  it  is  equipped  to  meet  temporary 
. needs  only.  Many  further  improvements  are  necessary,  however,  before 
AQthe  City  of  Buffalo  could  refute  the  charge  of  maintaining  at  the 
L corner  of  Broadway  and  Spring  Street  a hospital  almost  wholly  lack- 
ing in  the  matter  of  fire  protection.  Structures  which  house  the  sick 
should  be,  above  all  others,  fully  protected  from  fire  danger.  About 
< $15,000.00  will  be  needed  to  put  the  buildings  in  proper  condition.  At 
; least  three-fourths  of  this  will  go  toward  protecting  the  inmates  from 
®\  possible  incineration ; one-half  of  this  amount,  in  the  shape  of  a new 
K heating  plant,  can  be  utilized  at  the  new  Hospital. 

The  Department  takes  this  opportunity  to  disclaim  any  intention  of 
^ making  repairs  or  alterations  in  the  present  buildings  with  a view 
to  insuring  their  permanency.  So  far  as  possible  every  change  con- 
templated is  temporary  in  nature.  It  is  hoped  that  the  new  hospital 
* will  soon  be  a reality.  Its  need  has  been  amply  demonstrated  during 
the  past  year  and  a half.  The  present  institution  has  treated  about 
800  patients  and  even  now  there  are  over  90  people  within  its  con- 
fines. The  new  edifice  should  be  centrally  located  on  ample  grounds, 
but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  by  those  having  the  matter  in  charge  that 
a modern  Contagious  Disease  Hospital  built  on  the  pavilion  system  is 
necessarily  costly  to  erect  and  expensive  to  maintain.  As  Mayor 
Fuhrmann  aptly  put  it,  “ Plain  construction  and  adequate  breathing 
space  should  not  be  confounded  with  extravagance  of  architecture  and  ex- 
pansiveness of  lawn.” 

FRANCIS  E.  FRONCZAK,  M.  D., 

Health  Commissioner. 


June  1,  1910. 


3 


A Few  Remarks  About  the  Present 
Contagious  Disease  Hospital. 


The  report  of  the  Sanitary  Measures  Committee  which  appears  on  the  fol- 
lowing pages  contains  enough  statistical  information  to  make  it  of  value  as 
the  first  yearly  report  of  the  Contagious  Disease  Hospital.  The  facts  and 
figures  in  relation  to  this  phase  of  the  Hospital  work  are  not  so  complete 
as  they  might  be  owing  to  the  fact  that  on  February  19,  1909,  the  institution 
was  hurriedly  opened  with  the  idea  that  it  would  be  conducted  for  a few 
months  only.  Hence  the  records  in  the  beginning  were  either  improperly 
kept  or  entirely  lacking.  There  is  enough  information  at  hand,  however,  to 
prove  that  the  affairs  of  the  institution  have,  on  the  whole,  been  properly 
administered.  The  average  reader  will  no  doubt  be  surprised  to  learn  the 
magnitude  of  the  business  conducted  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Spring 
Street  for  the  year  1909.  This  applies  both  to  the  number  of  patients  treated 
and  the  amount  of  money  handled.  The  report  for  1910,  complete  in  every 
detail,  will  be  even  more  surprising  in  this  respect.  During  the  past  three  or 
four  months  the  institution  has  averaged  from  75  to  100  patients  daily.  This 
entitles  it  to  rank  with  the  large  institutions  of  the  city. 

A word  in  reference  to  the  character  of  the  contemplated  repairs  will  not  be 
amiss.  The  charge  has  been  made  both  publicly  and  privately  that  the  im- 
provements asked  for  on  the  ground  of  temporary  necessity  were  merely  a cloak 
to  cover  the  permanent  establishment  of  the  Hospital  on  its  present  site.  This 
is  most  emphatically  denied.  The  repairs  recommended  and  approved  by  the 
Board  of  Health  are  as  follows: 

1 “A  heating  plant  to  replace  coal  stoves  now  in  use.  Fire-proof  inside  par- 

titions, steel  ceilings,  fire-escapes,  repair  grand  staircase  in  the  main 
building , install  fire  alarm  box,  fire  hose  and  stand  pipes.” 

The  absolute  necessity  for  these  changes  must  be  perfectly  apparent  to 
everyone.  Furthermore,  the  entire  heating  plant  can  be  removed  and  installed 
in  the  new  hospital  when  that  structure  is  built. 

2 ((Eepair  gutters  and  conductor  pipes,  and  rear  roof  of  the  main  building, 

also  the  annex  roof.” 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  Department  of  Health,  in  this  respect,  is  vio- 
lating an  ordinance  which  it  insists  all  good  citizens  shall  observe.  In  other 
words,  sanitary  inspectors  appear  in  the  City  Court  almost  daily  against 
citizens  who  maintain  defective  conductors  and  roofs  on  their  homes. 

3 ee Outside  paint  for  all  structures.  Grass  and  trees  for  the  yard.” 

The  buildings  and  grounds  at  present  are  hideous  in  appearance.  The 
psychological  effect  upon  prospective  patients  is  most  depressing. 

4 efV entilating  shy-light  in  the  main  building:’ 

An  abundance  of  fresh  air  is  a necessity  for  well  persons,  to  say  nothing  of 
those  who  are  sick. 


4 


5 “Monolith  floors” 

^ The  present  pine  floors  have  been  badly  worn  by  the  tread  of  many  small 
feet  during  the  past  25  years.  They  are  hard  to  walk  upon  and  the  numerous 
cracks  make  them  difficult  to  keep  clean.  Monolith  means  a thin  layer  of 
cement  spread  over  the  old  flooring. 

6 “Separate  outside  entrances  for  all  wards  on  the  ground  floor.  Install  three 

new  bathrooms  in  the  Annex  and  re-arrange  bathrooms  in  the  main 
building  so  that  wards  can  be  isolated” 

Every  physician  will  concede  that  the  prime  requisite  of  a Contagious 
Disease  Hospital  is  proper  isolation.  Arguments  to  prove  this  point  are  un- 
necessary. 

7.  “A  house  telephone  system” 

We  have  four  separate  buildings  located  on  a lot  which,  including  the 
Kreiner  property,  measures  about  250  feet  by  200  feet.  We  receive  on  an 
average  from  50  to  100  telephone  calls  daily.  At  present  the  office  attendants 
obtain  the  information  necessary  to  answer  these  inquiries  by  scurrying  about 
the  premises. 

8 “Re-arrange  resident  physician’ s quarters.” 

Two  graduate  physicians  now  reside  in  one  old  class-room  in  the  main 
building.  They  are  on  duty  24  hours  daily.  They  have  neither  a sitting- 
room  nor  a bathroom;  not  even  a clothes  closet. 

9 “Repair  foundation  walls  in  the  main  buliding.” 

This  means  pointing  up  in  just  a few  places  to  prevent  seepage. 

10  “Convert  one  ward  into  an  operating-room  and  a drug-room.” 

Our  present  drug  store  does  a thriving  business  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it 
is  located  in  an  old  bookcase  left  behind  by  the  school  authorities.  We  have 
had  one  operation  for  appendicitis  and  several  others  requiring  a general 
anaesthetic.  These  were  performed  in  the  front  hall  under  perfectly  septic 
conditions. 

11  “Provide  suitable  ambulances.” 

The  remarks  made  in  reference  to  the  vehicles  owned  by  Keller  Bros,  and 
used  by  us  for  ambulance  purposes  reflect  in  no  wise  upon  the  afore-mentioned 
firm.  The  City  of  Buffalo  gets  exactly  what  it  pays  for.  The  liverymen 
maintain  four  different  carriages  which  are  used  for  hospital  ambulance  work 
only.  In  addition  there  is  a team  of  horses  and  a man  on  call  day  and  night. 
Eor  this  we  pay  $2.50  per  call,  regardless  of  the  distance  covered.  Manifestly 
it  is  absurd  to  expect  that  Keller  Bros,  would  provide  spirited  steeds,  magni- 
ficent equipages  and  perfectly  groomed  drivers  under  these  conditions. 

The  Health  Commissioner  has  every  reason  to  feel  proud  of  the  consulting 
staff  of  the  Contagious  Disease  Hospital  which  will  be  found  listed  on  another 
page  of  this  pamphlet.  Its  personnel  includes  many  of  Buffalo’s  most  distin- 
guished physicians.  It  also  compares  favorably  with  similar  bodies  attached 
to  other  Hospitals  in  the  city. 

5 


The  Department  of  Health  has  endeavored  in  the  past  to  make  the  Con- 
tagious Disease  Hospital  attractive  to  both  physicians  and  public  alike.  This 
policy  is  especially  desirable  when  one  realizes  that  hospital  quarantine  is 
discretionary  and  not  mandatory.  It  is  attractive  to  the  public  for  the  reason 
that  the  prices  charged  are  reasonable.  The  rates,  $10.00  per  week,  include 
board,  room  and  medical  attendance  if  desired.  Many  citizens  are  awakening 
to  the  fact  that  quarantine  cannot  be  kept  in  the  home  for  $10.00  a week  or 
less.  Those  who  cannot  afford  to  pay  the  above  price  have  no  difficulty  what- 
ever in  making  satisfactory  arrangements  with  the  poor  officers  of  the  city 
or  county.  Many  receive  orders  absolutely  free.  Patients  are  admitted  to 
the  institution  on  demand  regardless  of  whether  or  not  they  are  able  to  pay. 
The  details  are  arranged  later.  The  Hospital  is  attractive  to  physicians  for 
the  reason  that  it  maintains  an  open  house  policy.  In  other  words,  a doctor 
may  attend  and  have  full  charge  of  his  own  case,  whether  it  be  a city,  county 
or  pay  patient.  All  receive  the  same  treatment.  House  employees  are  in- 
structed to  follow  out  to  the  letter  the  orders  and  instructions  of  all  physicians 
having  cases  in  the  institution. 

Comment  on  the  report  contained  in  the  following  pages  is  unnecessary. 
It  speaks  for  itself.  To  those  who  may  question  its  verity  a cordial  invita- 
tion is  extended  to  visit  the  Hospital  and  find  out  for  themselves  whether  or 
not  the  statements  contained  therein  are  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  truth. 

WALTER  S.  GOODALE,  M.  D., 

Superintendent . 


REPORT. 


To  the  Honorable,  the  Board  of  Aldermen, 

Buffalo,  N.  Y. : 

Your  Committee  on  Sanitary  Measures, 
to  which  was  referred  the  question  of  in- 
vestigating and  reporting  on  the  conditions 
found  and  the  manner  in  which  the  Con- 
tagious Disease  Hospital,  at  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Spring  street,  Buffalo,  N. 
Y.,  is  being  conducted,  reports  that  the 
following  members  of  the  Committee  were 
present  at  the  inspection  which  was  made 
Thursday.  May  fifth.  1910:  Messrs.  E.  Sten- 
gel, Kelberer,  Harris  and  Staples;  Chair- 
man Shifferens  being  absent  on  account 
of  illness  in  his  family.  Health  Commis- 
sioner Fronczak  and  Assistant  Health  Of- 
ficer Schaefer  were  in  the  party  which  was 
conducted  by  Dr.  Walter  S.  Goodale,  super- 
intendent. 

Our  manner  of  entrance  into  the  hospital 
shqwed  that  every  precaution  is  taken  be- 
fore outsiders  are  allowed  to  enter.  We 
were  equipped  with  duck  gowns,  extending 
from  the  neck  to  the  floor,  with  hood  at- 
tached completely  covering  the  head;  cot- 
ton gloves  and  arctics  completed  the  cos- 
tume. These  coverings,  we  were  informed, 
are  used  only  once  before  being  fumigated. 


Main  Building. 

The  main  hall  of  the  building  has  been 
divided  into  two  parts  by  a wooden  parti- 
tion, one  portion  being  used  for  a general 
office,  the  other  constituting  thq  main  hall 
of  the  hospital.  Both  have  separate  en- 
trances, the  office  door  being  used  by  the 
public  and  the  doctors,  while  the  hospital 
door  is  used  for  the  reception  of  patients 
only.  The  main  floor  contains  4 wards,  1 
small  dressing  room  and  1 large  water  closet 
and  bath  room,  in  addition  to  the  main 
hall.  The  grand  stair  case,  which  has  badly 
worn  treads,  ascends  to  the  second  floor 
where  are  located  4 wards  similar  to  those 
downstairs,  in  addition  to  1 large  water 
closet  and  bath  room  and  the  resident  phy- 
sician’s quarters. 

The  basement  of  this  building  contains  a 
well  equipped  kitchen,  with  a dumb  waiter 
running  to  all  the  upper  floors  adjoining; 
a drying  room,  an  electric  laundry  consist- 
ing of  one  64-inch  gas  mangle,  two  electric 
flat  irons,  1 extractor,  1 washing  machine 
and  1 5-horsepower  motor. 

Here  also  are  found  a large  laboratory,  a 
water  closet  room  for  servants  and  nurses, 
a servants’  and  nurses’  locker  room,  a 


6 


storeroom,  a morgue  and  the  staff  dining 

room. 

Opening  off  of  the  main  floor  toward  the 
rear  is  a series  of  2 bath  rooms,  used  for 
discharging  patients,  and  immediately  ad- 
joining is  a formaldehyde  chamber  in  which 
patients’  clothes  are  fumigated  and  disin- 
fected. 

This  building  is  a two-story  brick  struc- 
ture with  a flat  slate  roof.  The  walls  are 
apparently  solid  and  appear  to  be  without 
cracks  or  other  imperfections.  The  inter- 
ior of  the  building  is  divided  longitudinally 
by  2 16-inch  fire  walls  extending  from  the 
ground  to  the  roof.  The  roof  is  in  first 
class  condition,  but  the  gutters  and  con- 
ductors are  badly  rotted  and  broken.  The 
foundation  walls  are  in  good  condition  but 
owing  to  the  fact  that  there  is  standing- 
water  outside  of  certain  portions  of  the 
building,  the  basement  is  damp  in  spots. 
This  latter  condition  is  entirely  due  to  the 
defective  conductors.  Apparently  there  is 
no  weakness  of  the  walls. 

There  is  one  fire  escape  across  the  back 
of  the  structure  which  takes  in  the  water 
closet  and  bath  room  and  one  ward  on  the 
second  floor.  The  7 other  wards  of  the 
building  are  without  fire  protection  of  any 
kind.  The  interior  of  the  edifice  shows 
evidences  of  having  undergone  recent  re- 
pairs. The  plaster  is  in  good  condition  and 
has  received  two  coats  of  water  color  paint 
very  recently.  The  woodwork  including  the 
wainscoting  has  been  neatly  done  in  oil. 
All  blackboards  have  been  removed  and 
replaced  by  plaster,  wainscoting  and  mould- 
ing, thus  removing  all  traces  of  the  uses 
to  which  the  building  was  formerly  put. 
Floors,  made  of  pine,  are  badly  worn.  In 
some  places  they  are  less  than  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  thick.  Were  it  not  for  the  fact 
that  the  biiilding  is  double-floored  a person 
of  ordinary  weight  would  break  through. 
In  many  spots  the  pine  knots  protrude  from 
half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch. 

LIGHTING— The  4 front  wards  are  lighted 
by  6 large  windows  each.  The  rear  wards 
have  5 windows  each.  Each  window  has 
an  area  of  31  square  feet.  Thus  the  win- 
dow area  in  front  is  25.91  per  cent,  of  the 
floor  space.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
building  has  a southern  and  western  ex- 
posure, these  rooms  are  unusually  bright 
and  sunny. 

ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING— The  entire 

building  is  lighted  by  electricity. 

PLUMBING— The  following  plumbing  has 
been  installed  in  the  main  building: 

BASEMENT — 1 water  closet  for  physi- 
cians. 1 for  nurses  and  1 for  servants:  1 
large  laboratory  sink  and  2 kitchen  sinks. 

FIRST  FLOOR — 1 large  room  containing 
the  following  fixtures,  each  fixture  in  a 
small  Compartment  made  of  matched 
boards  and  built  head  high;  all  except  2 
end  compartments  are  without  communica- 
tion to  the  outer  air: 

Two  water  closets  and  2 bathtubs  for 
men;  1 water  closet,  1 bath  tub  and  1 slop 


sink  for  women;  2 bath  tubs  and  1 water 
closet  for  discharging  patients;  1 dressing 
room  sink  and  1 office  sink. 

SECOND  FLOOR— 1 water  closet  and  1 
bath  tub  for  men;  1 water  closet  and  1 bath 
tub  for  women;  1 dressing  room  sink.  1 
wash  stand  in  resident  physician’s  room. 

This  makes  5 water  closet  bowls  and  5 
bath  tubs  for  the  use  of  patients.  At  the 
time  of  the  inspection  there  were  73  pa- 
tients housed  in  this  portion  of  the  hospital. 
In  other  words,  there  is  only  1 water  closet 
for  every  14  patients. 

As  before  mentioned,  all  plumbing  com- 
partments, except  the  2 end  ones,  have  no 
direct  communication  with  the  outer  air, 
which  makes  them  most  unsanitary  and 
very  often  a nuisance. 

VENTILATION — This  is  of  the  natural 
variety,  reinforced  by  ducts  built  in  the 
chimneys.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  hos- 
pital is  almost  square,  each  ward  being  on 
a corner  with  windows  on  either  side,  th  > 
air  supply  is  ample.  Each  ward  measures 
32x23x14  feet  and  averages  about  1,030 
cubic  feet  of  air  space  per  patient  not  al- 
lowing for  hallways. 

ODORS. — There  is  absolutely  no  odor  per- 
ceptible upon  entering  the  building,  for  the 
air  space  is  liberal  and  the  windows  are 
unusually  large. 

HEATING. — The  heating  system  consists 
almost  entirely  of  coal  stoves  of  the  old- 
fashioned  railroad  station  type.  They  are 
dangerous,  dirty  and  dU^’^t  to  manipulate. 
Unquestionably,  it  is  nothing  short  of  crim 
inal  to  heat  a non-fireproof  hospital  by  such 
methods  in  the  year  1910.  There  is  one 
range  in  the  kitchen,  3 gas  stoves  and  14 
coal  stoves  scattered  about  the  building. 
Like  the  old-fashioned  fire-place  these 
stoves  have  the  effect  of  roasting  nearby 
patients  if  those  in  more  distant  portions 
of  the  room  are  to  be  kept  comfortable. 
Each  stove  is  provided  with  a heavy  zinc 
fire  screen. 

NOISE. — There  were  no  noises  audible 
within  this  building  except  the  ordinary 
street  clatter. 

CLEANLINESS. — The  entire  building 
from  top  to  bottom  we  found  as  clean  as 
it  could  be  made  with  the  aid  of  soap, 
water  and  paint. 

Annex. 

Adjoining  the  main  building  on  the  east 
is  a one-story  wooden  structure,  85  feet  by 
42  feet.  It  is  badly  in  need  of  paint  and 
is  covered  by  a well  worn  gravel  roof,  very 
leaky  in  spots.  There  is  no  cellar.  It  con- 
tains 4 large  wards,  all  opening  into  a 
main  hall.  Toward  the  east  just  off  of 
this  hall  is  a small  serving  room,  from 
the  walls  of  which  large  chunks  of  plaster 
have  fallen  down  caused  by  a leak  in  the 
roof. 

The  walls  and  the  ceilings  are  in  good 
condition,  the  plaster  having  recently  re- 
ceived two  coats  of  water  color  paint  and 
the  woodwork  2 coats  of  oil  paint. 


\ 


7 


PLUMBING. — There  is  1 bath  tub,  1 
water  closet  and  1 sink.  At  the  time  of 
inspection  there  were  27  patients  in  this 
building,  making  1 water  closet  for  every 
27  people. 

VENTILATION. — rr,~  building  has  a nat- 
ural system  of  ventilation  aided  by  a large 
ventlating  tower  in  the  main  hall  and  regis- 
ters built  in  the  chimneys  of  each  ward. 
Each  ward  is  30x20x12  feet  making  the  air- 
space 1,066  cubic  feet  per  patient. 

HEATING. — The  structure  is  heated  by  5 
coal  stoves  of  the  same  type  as  those  in 
the  main  building.  Owing  to  the  fact  that 
it  is  made  of  thin  wood  walls  and  has  no 
cellar,  this  building  is  extremely  difficult 
to  heat  during  the  cold  weather. 

LIGHTING. — Each  ward  contains  seven 
windows,  whose  area  is  125  square  feet, 
making  the  window  area  20.85  per  cent,  of 
the  floor  space. 

ARTIFICIAL  LIGHTING.— Natural  gas 
is  in  use  at  night. 

ODORS. — No  unpleasant  odor  of  any 
nature  whatever  could  be  detected  in  tlie 
building. 

NOISES.— Upon  listening  intently  a faint 
drowsy  hum  could  be  heard  coming  from 
the  machine  shop  next  door. 


Nurses’  Cottage. 

To  the  rear  of  the  Annex  and  facing 
east  on  Tousey  alley  stands  a one-story 
and  half  cottage,  containing  6 rooms.  This 
is  used  for  nurses’  quarters.  At  the  time 
of  inspection  it  housed  10  nurses.  It  is 
heated  and  lighted  by  natural  gas  and  has 
been  neatly  painted  in  parts.  It  is  sorely 
in  need  of  paint  on  the  outside  and  the 
roof  should  be  shingled.  It  has  a bath  room 
recently  installed,  which  is  done  off  in 
white  enamel  with  fixtures  in  first  class 
condition.  The  cottage  is  neatly  furnished 
and  scrupulously  clean.  It  is  however, 
much  too  small  for  the  use  to  which  it  is 
put.  It  was  originally  built  as  a janitor’s 
cottage  for  the  school  house. 


General  Location  of  Buildings. 

These  structures  stand  on  the  north- 
easterly corner  of  Broadway  and  Spring 
street.  The  lot  is  185  by  190  and  is  bound- 
ed as  follows:  On  the  south  by  Broadway; 
on  the  west  by  Spring  street;  on  the  north 
by  the  Kreiner  residence  and  on  the  east 
by  Tousey  alley.  The  percentage  of  lot 
occupied  is  29.23  per  cent.  The  committee, 
in  walking  around  the  yard  paid  particular 
attention  to  the  matter  of  unpleasant  or 
disagreeable  odors.  They  were  unable  to 
detect  any.  Apparently  the  air  surrounding 
this  hospital  is  just  as  pure  as  the  air 
surrounding  the  City  Hall.  The  vegetation 
in  the  yard  is  scant  for  the  reason  that 
the  top  layer  of  the  soil  is  composed  of 
6 inches  of  cinders  surmounted  by  a thin 


layer  of  gravel.  The  Kreiner  yard  ad- 
joining, which  has  been  well  cared  for  ex- 
hibits a beautiful  lawn,  a tulip  tree  in 
full  bloom  and  several  other  shrubs  and 
trees,  all  in  first  class  condition. 

Your  Committee  was  particular  to  notice 
the  presence  or  absence  of  unpleasant 
noises.  When  we  arrived  at  our  meeting 
place  outside  of  the  hospital,  it  was  noted 
that  the.  windows  of  the  Wendt  machine 
shop  were  closed.  Shortly  after  our  ap- 
pearance they  were  opened  one  by  one,  un- 
til almost  the  whole  side  of  the  building 
was  dotted  with  open  windows.  In  spite 
of  this  fact,  as  we  listened  in  the  yard, 
we  could  detect  no  unusual  noises  or  any 
loud  clanging  or  banging.  There  were 
sounds  issuing  from  the  factory  but  none 
of  an  unpleasant  or  annoying  character. 

Patients  and  Nurses. 

At  the  time  of  inspection,  there  were 
73  patients  in  the  main  building  and  27 
patients  in  the  Anntx,  making  a total  of 
100.  It  has  a capacity  of  about  150.  At 
no  time  has  it  been  filled.  This  makes 
the  Contagious  Disease  Hospital  rank 
fourth  in  point  of  size  among  the  hospitals 
of  Buffalo.  The  County  Hospital,  the  Gen- 
eral Hospital  and  the  Sisters’  Hospital  are 
the  only  ones  having  a larger  attendance. 
During  certain  seasons  of  the  year  even 
the  Sisters’  Hospital  has  a smaller  num- 
ber of  beds  occupied  than  are  at  present 
filled  in  the  institution  at  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Spring  street. 

The  patients  were  exceedingly  neat  and 
clean  and  had  a well  fed  and  well  cared 
for  look.  The  convalescents  appeared  to  be 
enjoying  themselves  and  were  as  happy  as 
one  could  be  in  an  institution  of  this  char- 
acter. 

The  nurses  bore  evidence  of  being  com- 
petent, careful,  intelligent  women,  and  the 
wards  had  a well  ordered  look  generally. 
The  beds  and  bedding  were  in  first  class 
shape,  the  linen  white  and  clean  and  the 
white  enamel  bedsteads  bore  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  dirt  or  neglect.  In  fact, 
barring  structural  defects  and  lack  of  heat- 
ing facilities,  the  wards  and  patients  com- 
pared favorably  with  those  of  any  hospital 
in  the  city,  barring  none. 

There  is  one  nurse  on  duty  who  acts  as 
dietitian.  She  does  not  prepare  the  food 
but  devotes  her  time  exclusively  to  seeing 
that  all  patients  are  fed  and  fed  properly. 
The  dishes  used  we  found  in  first  class 
condition  and  the  manner  of  handling  the 
same  is  to  be  highly  commended.  Enamel 
ware  is  in  use  throughout  the  hospital. 
These  dishes  are  done  off  in  various  colors, 
one  color  for  each  disease.  The  silver 
ware  is  stamped  with  a die,  each  piece  con- 
taining the  name  of  the  disease  for  which 
it  is  to  be  used.  By  this  system  the  scar- 
let fever  patients  have  their  own  dishes, 
while  the  measles  patients  have  still  an- 
other kind.  This  system  reduces  the  dan- 
ger from  cross-infection  by  means  of  dishes 
to  a minimum.  The  milk  supply  of  the 
hospital  is  delivered  in  the  yard  where  it  Is 
poured  directly  from  the  milk  dealers’ 


8 


cans  into  the  hospital  cans,  the  former 
never  entering1  the  hospital  building. 

The  main  building  is  used  exclusively  for 
scarlet  fever,  while  the  Annex  is  used  for 
measles,  erysipelas  and  diphtheria.  Each 
building  has  its  own  set  of  nurses.  Thus 
every  precaution  is  taken  to  guard  against 
cross-infection. 


Visiti  ng. 

Arrangements  have  been  made  so  that 
parents  may  visit  those  children  who  are 
up  and  dressed.  A specially  constructed 
screen  door  in  the  office  permits  parents 
to  see  their  children,  the  latter  remaining 
on  the  hospital  side. 


Precautionary  Measures. 

Every  possible  care  and  precaution  is 
taken  in  the  discharge  of  cured  patients 
from  the  hospital.  There  are  two  sets  of 
bath  rooms  used  for  this  purpose.  The 
nurse  in  charge  of  the  ward  from  which 
the  patient  is  leaving,  removes  the  hospi- 
tal clothes  from  the  patient  and  gives 
him  a cleansing  bath.  He  is  then  seat 
down  a narrow  passage  to  a bath  room 
located  lust  outside  of  the  main  building 
where  a nurse  clothed  in  sterile  garments 
receives  him  and  he  is  given  another  cleans- 
ing bath.  This  is  followed  by  a bichloride 
bath.  During  all  of  these  ablutions,  spe- 
cial attention  is  paid  to  the  scalp.  An 
electric  hair  dryer  has  been  installed  in 
the  latter  bath  room.  The  patient  is  then 
arrayed  in  clothing  which  has  previously 
been  brought  from  home  that  morning 
by  parents  or  friends.  If  this  last  is  not 
possible,  he  is  fitted  with  clothing  which 
has  been  well  fumigated  the  night  before. 
He  is  then  discharged  through  a door  which 
is  used  for  no  other  purpose. 

That  the  same  care  and  precaution  is 
taken  in  reference  to  nurses  leaving  the 
building  after  their  day’s  work,  is  attested 
by  the  following  set  of  rules  which  your 
committee  found  posted  on  the  walls  of  the 
Nurses’  Cottage: 

‘Notice’ 

“Nurses  in  the  employ  the  Contagious 
Disease  Hospital,  Broadway  and  Spring- 
street,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  either  on  day  or 
night  diity,  will  sleep  in  the  dormitories 
provided. 

Nurses  on  leaving  the  hospital  buildings 
will  wash  their  hands  and  face  with  soap 
and  Avater,  and  follow  the  same  with  an  ap- 
plication of  1-2000  bichloride  solution.  They 
will  also  leaA’e  their  caps,  gowns  and  shoes 
in  the  room  proA'ided  for  this  purpose. 

Nurses  will  not  leaAre  hospital  grounds 
Avearing  any  part  of  their  uniforms. 

Washing  the  hands  and  face,  applying 
1-2000  bichloride  solution  to  the  same,  and 
making  an  entire  change  of  clothing  aapII 
be  deemed  a sufficient  precaution  Avhen 
any  of  the  nurses  wish  to  take  exercise  but 
do  not  intend  to  enter  any  public  place  or 
private  dwelling.  In  case  a nurse  desires  to 
avail  herself  of  the  latter  privilege  she  Avill 


take  a full  cleansing  bath,  a full  1-2000  bi- 
chloride bath  (which  also  includes  washing 
and  disinfecting  the  hair  and  scalp)  and 
make  an  entire  change  of  clothing  before 
leaving  the  premises. 

Any  nurse  a\’1io  disregards  the  aboA’e  rules 
will  be  instantly  dismissed.  She  will  fur- 
ther be  prosecuted  to  the  full  extent  of  the 
laAv  for  Aiolating  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  the  Department  of  Health  and  the  Char- 
ter and  Ordinances  of  the  Oity  of  Buffalo 
which  provides  for  the  maintenance  and 
regulation  of  quarantine.” 

(Signed), 

Supt.  Contagious  Disease  Hospital. 


Reception  of  Patients. 

At  the  time  of  inspection,  your  Committee 
had  an  opportunity  to  note  the  manner  in 
which  patients  are  received  at  the  institu- 
tion. The  ambulance  appeared  to  be  an 
ambulance  in  name  only.  As  a matter  of 
fact  the  vehicles  used  for  transporting  pa- 
tients are  second-hand  carriages  while  the 
horses  are  Avorn  out  old  plugs.  In  short, 
the  equipages  are  a discredit  to  the  City 
of  Buffalo.  A nurse  or  physician  accom- 
panies the  ambulance  on  each  call. 

The  patient  upon  being  brought  into  the 
building  is  halted  in  the  front  hall  Avhere  he 
is  examined  by  the  physician  on  duty  and 
the  diagnosis  of  the  physician  committing 
the  patient  confirmed.  A culture  is  then 
taken  from  the  throat  after  A\rhich  the  pa- 
tient visits  the  bath  room  AAThere  he  is  thor- 
oughly scrubbed.  He  is  then  put  to  bed.  His 
history  and  record  is  brought  in  by  the  am- 
bulance attendant.  Apparently  extreme 
care  is  taken  to  prevent  errors  in  diagnosis. 


Number  of  Employes. 

There  are  32  employees  on  the  payroll  of 
the  hospital.  Their  title  and  number  fol- 
io avs: 

1 Superintendent. 

I Resident  Physician. 

1 Matron. 

1 Supervising  Nurse. 

1 Night  Superintendent. 

14  Nurses. 

1 Dietitian. 

1 Bookkeeper. 

1 Cook. 

3 Maids. 

3 Laundresses. 

2 Janitors. 

1 Fumigator. 

1 Painter. 


Bookkeeping  System. 

The  book  and  record  keeping  system  of 
the  hospital  seems  to  haA*e  been  A'ery  Avell 
worked  out.  The  Patients’  Register  con- 
tains the  complete  family  history  of  every 
person  in  the  hospital.  It  is  numbered  ser- 
ially and  shows  that  up  to  date  the  hospital 
has  received  789  patients.  From  here  the 
patient  is  then  recorded  in  the  time  book 
where  a record  of  his  entire  stay  in  the 


9 


hospital  is  kept.  There  is  also  a ledger,  a 
cash  book,  and  a patients'  daily  report 
book,  showing  the  number  of  patients  in 
each  ward  at  the  close  of  every  day.  There 
is  a daily  roster  kept  of  the  nurses,  showing 
the  wards  in  which  they  are  on  duty,  the 
amount  of  daily,  weekly  and  Sunday  time 
they  have  off,  the  time  spent  on  night  duty 
and  the  number  of  days  they  are  ill.  A 
similar  book  is  also  kept  showing  the  ser- 
vants’ records. 

After  a patient  is  discharged,  the  fever 
charts  and  bedside  notes  are  fumigated  and 
turned  into  the  office,  where  they  are  cor- 
rected and  annotated  by  the  resident  physi- 
cian. They  are  then  placed  in  a large  en- 
velope numbered  with  the  patient's  serial 
number  taken  from  the  register  and  filed 
away  in  a cabinet  in  numerical  order.  These 
record  envelopes  are  indexed  according  to 
name  in  a card  index.  Thus,  if  any  in- 
formation should  be  desired  a year  hence 
regarding  John  Smith,  his  name  could  be 
looked  up  in  the  card  index,  his  serial  num- 
ber ascertained,  the  proper  envelope  located 
and  every  scrap  of  information  regarding 
the  patient’s  medical  history  and  treat- 
ment during  his  entire  stay  in  the  hospital 
could  be  ascertained. 

AH  goods  and  supplies  received  at  the  hos- 
pital must  be  accompanied  by  a memoran- 
dum bill,  the  same  to  be  receipted  by  the 
department  head  receiving  the  goods. 
These  are  placed  on  file  and  used  in  check- 
ing up  the  monthly  vouchers  which  are 
transmitted  to  the  Common  Council.  These 
vouchers  are  entered  in  a suitable  record, 
item  for  item,  and  properly  priced.  Thus 
a complete  record  of  everything  bought  and 
paid  for  by  the  hospital  is  on  file.  There 
is  also  another  record  k,ept  of  these  vouch- 
ers, wherein  the  amounts  are  charged  to 
the  ' various  departments  using  the  goods. 
Here  one  may  find  the  exact  cost  of  each 
branch  of  the  service.  This  last  book  has 
been  specially  devised  and  in  addition  to 
containing  a record  of  the  vouchers  for  the 
amount  of  moneys  disbursed,  it  also  con- 
tains a record  of  all  receipts  either  by  cash 
or  by  warrant.  Upon  consulting  this  book, 
the  hospital  authorities  can  immediately 
determine  their  balance  with  the  Comptrol- 
ler. It  furthermore  has  the  advantage  of 
being  a record  of  all  outstanding  and  un- 
paid vouchers.  This  seems  to  be  a decided 
advantage  as  most  City  Departments  have 
no  means  of  knowing  the  amount  of  their 
indebtedness. 

At  the  time  of  inspection  Expert  Account- 
ant Cowles  was  engaged  in  examining  the 
books.  All  figures  and  statistical  informa- 
tion recorded  in  this  report  have  been  re- 
ceived from  the  superintendent  of  the  hos- 
pital and  the  Committee  relies  upon  Mr. 
Cowles’  report  for  their  confirmation. 

A combined  statement  of  the  hospital  fi- 
nances for  the  year  1909  follows: 


Hospital  expense  $21,283.77 

General  Fund  4,989.45 

Accounts  due  (pay  cases) 817.42 

Accounts  due  (City  cases) 2,165.98 

Accounts  due  (County  cases)....  6.28 

Cash  on  hand  (Dept,  of  Health). . 65.71 


Cash  on  hand  (Comptroller) 12,443.09 

Bureau  of  Buildings 9.02 


$41,780.72 

L.  F.  Anderson $10.00 

Pay  cases  (Total  amt.  reed.) 3,472.53 

City  cases  (Total  amt.  reed.) 11,891.37 

County  cases  (Total  amt.  reed.)..  6.28 

Appropriations  (Total  amt.  reed.)  26,391.52 
Special  repairs  9.02 


,$41,780.72 

Note:— The  sum  of  $1,530.08  should  be 
added  to  hospital  expense,  making  the  total 
for  the  year  $22,813.85  instead  of  $21,283.77. 
This  is  necessary  on  account  of  the  out- 
standing vouchers  Jan.  1,  1910,  unpaid  at 
that  time. 

Your  Committee  wishes  to  call  attention 
to  the  fact  that  this  institution  last  year 
handled  $41,780.72,  of  which  amount  $22,- 
813.85  was  spent  in  maintaining  the  hos- 
pital. 

An  itemized  account  of  this  expenditure 
follows: 


Groceries  $746.86 

Meat  and  fish 754.61 

Bread  and  milk 1,501.02 

Butter,  eggs,  cheese  and  ice 1,082.22 

Fruit  and  vegetables 474.24 

Drugs  621.18 

Surgical  and  w'ard  supplies 757.38 

Linen,  tablewrare,  dishes  and  bed- 
ding   2,100.84 

Clothing  236.48 

Kitchen  utensils  267.33 

Repairs  391.90 

Construction  1,118.19 

Paints,  oils  and  maintenance  sup- 
plies   541.54 

Heat  and  light 992.49 

Laundry  165.32 

Laboratory  100.55 

Ambulance  695.00 

Office  expense  228.28 

Miscellaneous  447.63 

Pay  roll  9,591.29 


$22,813.85 

Repairs  (Bureau  of  Buildings)...  $3,000.00 


The  comparatively  small  amount  spent 
for  construction  and  repairs  is  ample  evi- 
dence that  more  money  ought  to  be  spent 
in  this  direction.  The  statement  also  dis- 
closes the  fact  that  there  were  received 
from  paid  patients  $3,472.53  and  from  the 
Overseer  of  the  Poor  for  City  patients  $11,- 
891.37.  The  Superintendent  of  Poor  con- 
tributed $6.28.  There  was  appropriated  by 
the  Common  Council  of  the  City  of  Buf- 
falo in  all  $26,391.52.  Of  this  amount  there 
was  on  hand  in  the  office  of  the  Comptrol- 
ler $12,443.09.  These  last  figures  represent 
the  money  available  for  hospital  mainten- 
ance from  -January  1,  1910,  to  July  1,  1910, 
beginning  the  next  fiscal  year. 

The  following  report  gives  the  number  of 
patients  received  during  the  year  and  the 
number  on  hand  December  31,  1909: 


10 


Admitted: 


Scarlet  fever  437 

Measles  12 


449 

Discharged : 

Cured  379 

Improved  6 

Trans 1 

Died:  Scarlet  fever  26  412 


On  hand  Dec.  31,  1909  37 

Manner  of  Maintenance: 

City  cases  365 

County  cases  3 

Pay  cases  81  449 


Average  number  of  patients  per  day, 
August  1,  1909,  to  January  1,  1910. . 36 

Average  number  of  days  in  hospital 

per  patient  for  year  1909  38 

Sex: 

Male  315 

Female  234  449 


Number  of  days  board  in  year. . 16018 

Daily  cost  of  raw  food  per  pa- 
tient   28%  cents 


It  also  contains  information  of  value  to 
those  interested  in  the  construction,  erec- 
tion and  maintenance  of  a new  hospital.  It 
shows, for  instance,  that  the  average  num- 
ber of  patients  per  day  from  August  1, 
1909,  to  January  1,  1910,  the  only  period 
during  which  this  information  was  avail- 
able, was  36.  Since  January  1,  1910,  this 
figure  would  probably  be  considerably 
larger.  The  average  number  of  days  each 
patient  was  in  the  hospital  was  38.  The 
number  of  days  board  in  the  year  was 
16018.  From  these  latter  figures  and  the 
amount  spent  for  edibles,  we  are  enabled 
to  compute  the  cost  per  capita  of  raw  food 
for  each  patient  daily.  It  amounts  to  28% 
cents. 

A hospital  report  of  the  Presbyterian 
Hospital,  New  York  City,  one  of  the  larg- 
est and  best  regulated  in  the  country, 
shows  the  per  capita  cost  to  be  32  cents. 

The  mortality  rate  is  5.79%.  The  mor- 
tality rate  of  the  Boston  City  Hospital, 
one  of  the  oldest  and  best  contagious  dis- 
ease hospitals  in  the  country  is  11.84%. 


Conclusions. 

In  view  of  the  above  facts  which  your 
Committee  discovered  during  its  inspection 
and  investigation  of  the  Contagious  Dis- 
ease Hospital  we  would  express  ourselves 
as  being  heartily  in  favor  of  the  repairs 
and  alterations  which  were  recently  recom- 
mended by  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  City 
of  Buffalo.  After  a careful  survey  of  the 
entire  situation  we  are  convinced  that  these 
improvements  are  necessary  for  the  decent 
maintenance  of  a temporary  hospital  and 
will  in  no  wise  effect  its  permanency  or 


the  proposition  of  the  erection  and  con- 
struction of  a new  Contagious  Disease  Hos- 
pital. We  feel  with  the  Health  authorities 
that  the  City  of  Buffalo  should  either  main- 
tain a hospital  properly  or  else  close  it  up. 

Furthermore,  after  a careful  study  of  the 
situation  which  includes  numerous  consul- 
tations with  a large  number  of  Buffalo’s 
leading  physicians  we  are  of  the  opinion 
that  these  improvements  should  be  carried 
forward  at  once.  Many  of  them  can  only 
be  perfected  during  the  mild  weather  and 
as  the  town  still  seems  to  be  in  the  grasp 
of  an  epidemic,  we  consider  it  would  be 
very  dangerous  to  delay  this  matter  so 
that  another  school  year  would  be  upon 
us  with  nothing  done. 

The  repairs  recommended  and  approved 
by  the  Board  of  Health  are  as  follows: 

A heating  plant  to  replace  coal  stoves 
now  in  use. 

Repair  gutters  and  conductor  pipes  and 
rear  roof  of  the  main  building  and  the  an- 
uex  roof. 

Outside  paint  for  all  structures. 

Monolith  floors. 

Grass  and  trees  for  the  yard. 

Ventilating  skylight  in  the  main  building. 

Fire-proof  inside  partitions. 

Steel  ceilings. 

Fire  escapes. 

Separate  outside  entrances  for  all  wards 
on  the  ground  floor. 

A house  telephone  system. 

Iron  stairway  in  the  main  building. 

Rearrange  resident  physician’s  quarters. 

Repair  foundation  walls  in  the  main 
building. 

Install  fire  alarms,  also  fire  hose  and 
stand  pipes. 

Convert  one  ward  into  an  operating  room 
and  a drug  room,  which  will  allow  room 
for  enlarging  present  public  office. 

Provide  suitable  ambulances. 

Install  3 new  bath  rooms  in  the  Annex 
and  rearrange  bathrooms  in  the  main  build- 
ing so  that  wards  can  be  isolated. 

We  feel  that  it  is  only  just  and  proper 
to  recommend  the  splendid  work  that  has 
been  accomplished  by  Walter  S.  Goodale, 
Supt.  of  the  Hospital,  in  perfecting  the 
organization  which  your  Committee  discov- 
ered during  its  investigation  on  May  5th 
last.  This  institution  was  opened  in  an 
abandoned  school  building  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1909.  At  that  time  the  late 
Health  Commissioner,  Ernest  Wende, 
planned  to  maintain  it  for  a month  or  two, 
and  then  close  it  up.  Hence,  no  great  plans 
or  preparations  were  made  for  an  extended 
stay.  As  time  went  on,  however,  it  soon 
became  evident  that  the  hospital  could 
never  be  closed  without  discharging  a large 
number  of  sick  patients  upon  the  commu- 
nity. It  was  then  determined  to  make  such 
temporary  repairs  as  were  deemed  neces- 
sary. This  task  was  rendered  doubly  dif- 
ficult owing  to  the  fact  that  the  hospital 
was  practically  filled  with  patients  who 


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had  to  be  properly  cared  for  while  altera- 
tions and  repairs  were  being  made.  At  the 
present  time  the  organization  is  a model 
of  efficiency,  and  patients  and  nurses 
alike  bear  every  evidence  of  discipline  and 
control.  In  short,  an  organization  which 
will  compare  favorably  with  many  of  the 
older  institutions  of  the  City  has  been  es- 
tablished in  a building  which  was  never 
designed  for  the  uses  to  which  it  has  been 
put. 


Report  of  City  Chemist  Hill. 

Dr.  F.  E.  Fronczak: 

Dear  Sir— Examination  of  the  condition 
of  wards  selected  at  random  at  the  hospital 
for  contagious  diseases  on  the  morning  of 
May  10  gave  results  as  follows: 

Ward  on  second  floor,  southwest  corner, 
main  building. 

Windows,  6. 

Windows  open,  2,  about  5 inches  each  at 
top. 

Children,  12. 

Ages,  4 to  10  years. 

Air  outlets,  2 near  top  of  room,  one  in 
outer  and  one  in  inner  wall;  one  in  inner 
wall  connects  with  chimney  stack;  outer 
one  ends  in  garret. 

Size  of  outlets,  176  square  inches. 

Air  delivered  by  outlets,  37,020  cubic  feet 
per  hour. 


Air  delivered  for  each  patient,  3,085  cubic 
feet  per  hour. 

Carbon  dioxide  in  air  of  room,  6.43  parts 
in  10,000. 

Ward  in  northeast  corner  of  annex: 

Windows.  7. 

Windows  open,  3 about  3 inches  each  at 
top. 

Patients,  6 children,  2 adults. 

Air  outlets,  not  in  operation. 

Carbon  dioxide,  5.20  parts  in  10,000. 

Carbon  dioxide  in  outer  air,  4.84  parts 
in  10,000. 

The  main  building  if  continued  in  use 
as  a hospital  should  have  all  its  air  ducts 
from  the  wards  carried  through  the  roof, 
a central  ventilating  shaft  in  the  hallway, 
so  heated  as  to  produce  a good  draft  and 
a bathroom  and  water  closet  for  each  ward; 
the  closet  and  bathroom  separate  from  each 
other. 

HERBERT  M.  HILL, 
City  Chemist. 

Signed, 

GEO.  K.  STAPLES, 

Acting  Chairman. 
ELMER  HARRIS, 

J.  GEORGE  KELBERER, 
EDWARD  STENGEL, 
Committee  on  Sanitary  Measures. 


Note.— Chairman  Sliifferens  did  not  take  part  in  the  above 
inspection  on  account  of  illness  in  his  family. 

Note.— The  daily  cost  of  raw  food  per  patient  in  above 
schedule  is  too  high,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  total  cost 
of  edibles  includes  patients  and  employees,  while  the  num- 
ber of  boys’  board  in  the  year  refers  to  patients  only.  This 
error  was  discovered  after  the  Committee  had  made  its  re- 
port. 


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